Thursday, February 18, 2010

Lito Atienza - Saving Abandoned Children

Lito Atienza is currently a part of the list of prospects who will participate in the elections for Manila mayor. These Manila elections, yet once more, would be a trial of the aptitude of the discernment of the electorate to pick a candidate who is worthy of the demanding needs of the colorful city. In terms of qualifications, possibly there is no one additional who matches the post more other than Lito Atienza. And amidst those who will compete for mayor in the Manila elections, no one probably has helped more.

In 1992, just as a Vice-Mayor, Lito Atienza constituted with his wife Beng the "Home for the Angels," a child care center for abandoned and abused infants. He made this out of his conclusive belief that nobody should feel unwanted. He also acknowledges that some conditions might forcefully break up a parent from his child and this is why he created this shelter for them. The center allows for nutrition and all the love which these children could ever need.

This center is the image of the good heart of Lito Atienza. This is what electors should be cognizant of during the Manila elections. To a certain sense, we are all kids of the city, calling for someone like Lito Atienza to guide us in a city in which himself saw burnt to ashes and which he wants to see rise again to elusive prominence. Such deeds of great magnitude should not be disregarded and should be at the centerpiece during the elections for Manila Mayor.

It would be morally upright if voters on the elections for Manila mayor would pick someone who was vocally versus abortion. The principle of Lito Atienza as one of the founders of Home for the Angels has consistently been that abortion is the ultimate child abuse and must be stopped at all costs. The Home of the Angels is a center meant to be action oriented and serves as the back up solution to anti-life challenges. It is a concrete symbol and reservoir of hope at the same sentence for a lot of people.

During these Manila elections, let us not forget that the Home for the Angels has been a consistent crisis home for abortion survivors and has helped many neglected, abused and exploited infants ever since it was founded fourteen years ago. It has helped many victims and expected victims have a new set of lives and all of these is due to the merciful heart of Lito Atienza. The elections for Manila mayor would surely be a half-baked race if it did not let in a choice such as him. The office of Manila mayor is a status of action joined with great promises.

A total of 301 babies were assisted and accepted for case management and crisis intervention from year 1996 to the present and a total of 4,371 men, women and teenagers were assisted and referred through crisis intervention by phone and walk-in referrals from 2006 to the present in the center. A total of 356 students and private individuals were served well and supplied with Respect for Life Orientation while a total of 314 children ages 0-6 years old for Early childhood care and Development were served in alternative Day Care services through the Learn and Play Outreach Program. These are efforts of a man who for sure deserves to win in the Manila elections. In the elections for Manila Mayor, these are deeds of a man that had better be up there when we apply our discernment.

These elections for Manila mayor should be a culmination in the life and career of service of one man. This great man is Lito Atienza. When he set up his center, The Home For The Angels, he had a vision to help all abandoned and neglected children. During these Manila elections, we can actually give him a chance to expand more his vision that no person should be deprived of shelter, sustenance, caring and of love.

-Joel Dumayog

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